Give In, Oh Sweet Surrender
by Amanda Yates
Summary: The people say the crown prince is inflicted with a mysterious illness, as Uther keeps him invisible from court life. Really, Uther is mortified that the heir to the throne was born an omega and wants to keep Arthur protected. Enter Merlin, the bumbling idiot no one suspects of being an alpha (or a powerful sorcerer).
1. Chapter 1

**Give In, Oh Sweet Surrender**

Part-1

From the very moment Uther knew, he had been embarrassed and mortified and impossibly outraged and this reason more so than the grief of his wife's death was why he seeked to purge all the sorcerers in the realm for the conniving sorceress Nimueh had not only made him loose the only woman he'd loved but she had also tricked him into having a submissive for a son. Uther could not even think of it, the implications of his only son and heir to the throne being an omega was nothing short of complete destruction and Uther could not let anyone find out about Arthur for both Arthur's sake and his own.

Looking at the sleeping infant not even a month old yet Uther felt a fierce protectiveness for his cub as all Alphas tended to do, especially if their young were an omega and right then he swore to himself and to his son that he would never let Arthur be a slave to his instincts, he could never imagine his precious Arthur being claimed by some dominating alpha even if it were an honorable man and Uther vowed to find a way to defy nature as he ordered Gaius to search for anything to cure Arthur of his unfortunate inheritance.

As Arthur grew older he earned the reputation of being an abnormally quiet and charming child making his nurse maids coo at him every opportunity giving him anything and everything he asked for, he was also quite timid and one day when a five year old Arthur came running from the lower town into the castle with tears overflowing from his eyes smacking straight into Uther, the King felt it was time to toughen up his boy no matter how much it pained him to put Arthur in harm's way knowing Arthur would naturally be defensive as it was an omega's nature to be gentle and not aggressive like the alphas.

Uther adopted a strict posture and demanded in a harsh tone, "Stop sniveling Arthur! You're the Prince of Camelot and Prince's are not supposed to show weakness!"

Arthur stared up at Uther with his wide blue innocent eyes and his heaving sobs only quickened and Uther pulled his arm forcefully and dragged him into his personal chambers barking at the guards to stay out.

He slammed the door and turned around to see Arthur still crying and fiddling with the hem of his shirt, his small frame heaving with quietly contained sobs.

"Damn it Arthur! Stop crying I said!"

Arthur looked up and his eyes kept overflowing with tears although he tried to contain the hiccups and sobs his throat working to stop moving up and down.

Uther knew it was cruel but there was no other way, this was the only way in which he could ensure Arthur lived dignified enough to be King of Camelot one day and he said "You disappoint me with your weakness Arthur."

Arthur who was five years old and adored and loved his father above all else looked shocked and immediately wiped at his eyes and stopped fidgeting, the words cutting deep and registering in his mind for a long time to come.

Both son and father stood there for an inordinate amount of time before Arthur managed to look somewhat better and not as though he were going to fall apart at any moment.

Uther then asked calmly "Now, what were you so upset about?"

"It's nothing Father." Arthur lied not wanting to see even more judgment and disapproval in his father's eyes.

"Don't lie to me Arthur."

Arthur then put his head down in shame before he said "The older boys in the lower town were playing catch and the stone hit me when I was passing by, I backed away but they started chasing me… I was sca.." Arthur stopped not finishing the sentence but both Uther and Arthur knew that he'd been about to say scared.

Uther knew logically that his son was only responding according to the way nature intended him to but he was enraged nonetheless and screeched "A crown Prince being afraid of his lowly subjects, this will not do Arthur, this won't do at all! From tomorrow you will start training with me to become a proper knight!"

Arthur nodded thinking he would do anything if it meant his father wouldn't look at him with disappointment anymore.

As the years passed Uther became more and more emotionally repressed with his son and showed him only rare hints of affection. Those moments were what a young Arthur cherished and after years of crying himself to sleep and being miserable in his loneliness Arthur hardened under his father's strict tutoring and cold civilty until he became formidable on the battleground and in council politics earning those rare satisfied and proud grins from Uther which made him glow with happiness and arrogance and Uther could not have been happier.

And then Morgana arrived in the castle when she was fifteen and Arthur was thirteen to be Uther's ward and being an omega herself and Uther's daughter though none but Uther knew of it Uther grew more and more fond of her, showing her all the kindness and affection he'd kept himself from showing to Arthur.

At first Arthur was jealous of Morgana and kept behaving appallingly to her, sniping at her and generally goading her into tears until one day he'd gone too far and she'd slapped him rushing away in tears to the castle and no one was able to find her for a whole day.

Arthur feeling guilty and rotten had spent the next day searching for her when he found her in the old abandoned had asked sorry to her for the first time in years. Morgana bless her was forgiving and Arthur and her had spent the better part of the day exchanging stories about their life laughing and generally being cozy so much so that they had forgotten that a contingent of Uther's knights were looking for them and when the knights and the King had finally managed to find them they had been found dozing together in each other's arms.

Uther was disgruntled with this development to put it slightly and though it would have been acceptable for Arthur to like women Morgana was his half-sister and the blood they shared would prevent them from having romantic inclinations with each other. As the days passed Morgana and Arthur became closer than ever and Arthur skived off training and banquets to go for a ride with Morgana or playing chess in Morgana's chambers.

The old Arthur slowly started to reappear though it was harder for him to do it this time because he felt confused with his own feelings and how he was expected to act by his father. He was kinder to the servants, more polite in council meetings and even smiled brightly and freely not caring about Prince's etiquette that Uther had fought so hard to teach.

Uther had called him to his chambers one night and after dining with Arthur he had declared "You're not to be seen in Morgana's chambers again Arthur."

Arthur had looked bewildered and asked "Why father? I thought you wanted us to get along."

"I did and I do now but there are certain customs Arthur, propriety is a code a Prince must always maintain, we cannot have our people slandering us and doubting our honor."

"But Morgana and I are just friends!"

Uther who had never expected such resistance from Arthur callously stated "She is not your friend Arthur, King's have no friends only loyal subjects. You would do well to remember that."

Morgana could not understand why all of a sudden Arthur was being so distant and after a while the hurt faded to be replaced with anger and the both of them resumed their initial routine again though they did care about each other a great deal.

Then Arthur turned sixteen and the day both Gaius and Uther had dreaded drew closer and after very many years, it turned out that there was no way magical or otherwise to change Arthur's condition and they both summoned Arthur to Gaius' chambers, though Uther wanted to insist otherwise Gaius warned him that Arthur needed to be prepared for what was to come and defend himself from the attention of unwanted men seeking to claim him.

Arthur's stomach clenched in worry when he saw his father and Gaius in the physicians quarters pulling up a chair so that he could sit and when the both of them kept standing his worry increased ten fold.

"Arthur, there are certain things that I've hidden from you for your own safety and for you to have as normal a life as possible but now that you are sixteen we cannot hide it anymore and there is no easy way of saying this but Arthur, you are an omega, you were born as one."

Arthur looked and felt confused as he asked "I don't know what that means father."

Uther turned to Gaius and after an hour filled with explanations and Arthur turning more and more enraged and breaking everything he found in his path he finally broke down and cried for the first time in front of his father after all those years when his father had demanded in his stern voice to 'not cry and show weakness.'

Surprisingly Uther did not tell him to stop this time and he huddled Arthur to his chest as he rubbed his son's hair, the anguish of his only omega heir hitting him fiercely filling him with the urge to protect and sooth.

"I'm a disgrace, aren't I?" asked Arthur quietly fearing the answer and starting to hate himself.

Uther took his face in his hands and pulled him back so that Arthur was able to look at him and he said "You are not a disgrace Arthur, it is not your fault, the witch Nimueh is the one at fault here."

Arthur sighed and shook his head, "I can't live like that father, I can't live being enslaved to anyone else, I'd rather die!"

Gaius then intervened saying "You do not have to Arthur, the herbs I've gathered and a potion I make can mask your scent during heat, the alphas around here would never have to know you are an omega as long as you keep taking the herbs and the potion during your cycles every month and remain confined to your chambers for that period of time."

Arthur nodded his head and Gaius left him with several books which he could read to know more but Arthur wanted to have them burned once he was in his chambers and before he could give into the urge and do so he kept them stacked in a secret cupboard only he had the keys to and put the keys in a box where he kept most of the items his mother had left to him in the drawer near his bed.

Knowing things and experiencing them were a very different matter altogether and when Arthur experienced his first cycles and started to bleed he nearly died from the embarrassment of having to deal with it, he kept to his rooms during those three days in a month being generally moody and angry at everyone and everything and Gaius and Uther were the only people who came by to see him and he had to dispose off the evidence by burning every soiled cloth and as time grew he couldn't even see his naked body without shame anymore and even dressing himself was a chore.

He still practiced with his knights and his tenacity only grew as he was determined not to let some heresay of nature make him into someone else's bitch. Soon Arthur became to be known as a champion among the five great kingdoms and Arthur had convinced himself that he could live the rest of his life this way and ignore the small oddities about him which no one need ever know.

He realized how wrong he was when his first heat hit him when he was seventeen years old and on a hunting trip, there were two knights with him and neither of them were an alpha, his father had grown immensely protective of him and refused to allow Arthur to go out with some of the known Alpha knights in the kingdom like Arthur's regular sparring companion Leon and now Arthur couldn't help but be thankful as he groaned not having the suppressive herbs with himself and for the first time he experienced what it felt like to be numbed with desire, his every nerve tingling and his body on fire in want of something, something to cool him and burn him all at the same time and Arthur got off his horse and heaved deep breaths retrieving his water skin from the horse and taking deep gulps of water hoping to thaw an entirely new and different kind of thirst, god if this is what it would feel like every time he was in heat he could almost just for a moment fool himself into thinking he could give it up and surrender to the torrent of hormones and desire his body was experiencing.

"We….we have to ride back to Camelot…but one of you must go first, tell Gaius to meet me at the outskirts of the forest."

One of his knights immediately set forth to Camelot while the other stayed and watched him speculatively. Arthur who was at this point strung so high he wanted to just roll on the forest floor and pull his hair out in frenzied desire managed to somehow control himself and got back up on his horse and rode a little distance away when there was an arrow shot from somewhere in the trees and his knight fell down, Arthur got back down from his horse and drew his sword and only when he was surrounded by bandits did he smell it, the powerful scent of an Alpha and more than one at that, his breeches which were already soaked felt even more wet as the wetness oozed out of him and onto his legs dripping down and making him feel how very loose and warm he was with desire. Arthur managed to hold his sword in a hard grip purely by will even as he stumbled and fell on his knees feeling faint with the scent of the alpha's around him and he could only imagine how much pheromones he himself was giving out, calling to them like a signal, wanting to be claimed but Arthur knew he could not allow that to happen.

He heard the collective growl of two of the alpha's but the leader who was a tall muscled man twice as tall and strong as Arthur stepped forward all the other's backed off and waited in bated breath as Arthur keened feeling his nipples tighten and his whole body thrum as the alpha's voice reached him, "He's such a pretty one, isn't he?"

Arthur closed his eyes against the humiliation when all the bandits laughed and felt himself gritting his teeth against the avalanche of emotions and desire threatening to overwhelm him as he stood up with the handle of his sword clasped firmly and held it up against the leader stating "Leave me alone, or you will pay with your lives!" Arthur didn't disclose his identity for fear of news reaching other kingdoms about his condition.

The men only laughed harder as the burly man stepped forward mocking "And what are you going to do little omega, let me tell you what you are going to do, you're going to spread your legs like a good little omega and let me and my men have you!"

When Arthur gulped and looked frightened the man gave him a lewd smirk and said "Oh don't worry, we'll be gentle, won't we boys?" he asked the group of them and they all laughed harder making Arthur shiver and something roll unpleasantly in his belly. He had no hope of surviving out of this mess alive, he was surrounded and there was no way they were going to let him go and the thought of these ugly, robbing thieves raping him against his will made tears of frustration and anger rise in his eyes when the man lunged and Arthur dodged swinging his sword which the man easily avoided. Then the alpha took his own sword out and the others drew theirs as well and Arthur was disarmed and thrown against the forest floor minutes after and cold dread began to seep into his mind and clutch his heart as he cried in earnest now when the men made a circle above him and two of them bent down to remove his shirt as the leader took off his boots. Arthur closed his eyes not wanting to see any of this, not wanting to believe that this was his fate when there was a bright light and then a thudding sound and he kept his eyes closed not wanting to open them lest he see something when after a minute when nothing happened he finally opened his eyes to see that no one was standing around him and the bandits were scattered across the forest floor in various unnatural positions and one hanging from a tree. He took a close look at one of the bandits who was thrown closer to him and saw there were no arrows or any other injuries.

"What are you looking for Arthur Pendragon? Run!" he heard a voice and turned to see an old man wearing a dirty robe and carrying a staff standing four feet away.

"Who…who are you?" asked Arthur bewildered as the only explanation for this was sorcery and father had always told him all sorcerers were evil.

"It does not matter who I am boy, you need to run, they could wake up any moment and I do not have enough power to keep them at bay once again!"

Arthur stuttered and asked "You're a…sorcerer but why would you help me?"

The man looked sharply at Arthur, "This is not your destiny! You belong with the Great Emrys! RUN BOY! RUN!"

The urgency in the mans tone made Arthur turn away and he mounted his horse before riding off to Camelot on his horse, the sorcerer's words plaguing his mind.

Gaius gave him the suppressor herbs as soon as he sighted him and Uther was with him scenting Arthur and turning an enraged red when he could smell other alpha's on him. Arthur assured his father than nothing had happened and that he had managed to escape though he left the sorcerer out of the explanation.

Years passed and Uther became more and more protective of Arthur cosseting him so much that Arthur felt the need to rebel every now and again and throw huge temper tantrums. He had to deal with the heat for five weeks every year and with the suppressor herbs and solitude no alpha around Camelot had gotten wind of Arthur being an omega but the suppressors did nothing to quench his impossible lust and Arthur buried his fingers in his hole and tried everything but masturbation never seemed to help and year by year he grew more frustrated and lashed out even more.

Then one day Merlin, bumbling, idiotic, far too good and kind Merlin with his large ears and bright smile came stumbling into Arthur's life and no one, not even Gaius suspected him to be an alpha though he was a powerful sorcerer but no one knew and destiny was set into motion, one trapped dragon feeling very content indeed.

**End of part one, I'll post part two sometime in the future!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part-2**

From the moment Arthur met Merlin he was on the edge because Merlin was a great big leap into the unknown for Arthur after all the years of assured beliefs and predetermined ideals. Arthur was at first amused that some peasant boy would stand up to the Prince but then he realized it was refreshing to know someone who wasn't intimidated by his station and would call him out on his mistakes and misgivings as if he were an equal to Merlin.

Merlin did not see the crown on Arthur's head, he did not respect Arthur for his title, and he cared not about the wealth and power that Arthur held but saw him as just another man. To everyone else Arthur was the Prince unapproachable and to be treated with respect and reverence whether he deserved it or not but to Merlin, Arthur was as he liked to call it 'a princely prat who had ego bigger than the size of his head' and for once in his life Arthur got to experience blatant honesty from someone who in equal parts respected and loathed him.

Arthur slowly learned to trust Merlin the most and when he almost died drinking poison from the chalice for him, Arthur felt a profound sense of bereavement as if there was no purpose to his life anymore and then Merlin woke up with his cheeky smile and Arthur hugged the life out of him and if eyes were a bit shiny then no one had the courage to question it.

Arthur felt jealous for the first time in a long time when he saw the close bond Merlin shared with Gwen, it was obvious from the way Gwen looked at Merlin that she was besotted with the big eared idiot but Arthur wanted to drag Merlin bodily away from Gwen whenever he saw them both sitting together with their heads bent and giggling about this or that, Arthur cared not but being the Prince and being extremely good at denying his own feelings Arthur just increased Merlin's workload and made sure to keep him in his sight all the time except for the time when he had to hide away in his chambers during his cycles of course and at that time Arthur spent the days wondering if Merlin was out and about the city cavorting with Gwen or that stable boy Girard whom Merlin liked to be around, if Arthur were to guess he'd say Girard had more chances of laying one on Merlin than Gwen ever did, for Arthur had seen Merlin looking impossibly smug around the stable boy and when Merlin threw one of his careless grins at the boy, the stable hand usually turned beet red while Arthur screamed for Merlin to get on with it and stop trying to flirt during work.

He was amused that even the king seemed to like Merlin; he never said anything but Arthur could see the calculating look in Uther's eyes sometimes when he observed the boy and he hadn't asked Arthur to get a proper manservant in a while so Arthur knew Uther appreciated Merlin's loyalty to Arthur.

As days passed both master and servant became closer and then Arthur found out about the magic. He knew Merlin was the one who was the sorcerer, he'd seen his hand being raised when he conjured the wind though his friend Will was standing close by and conveniently pleaded guilty when he died. Arthur felt hurt and betrayed, he was angry at Merlin for hiding this all along and he couldn't even confront Merlin about it because if he did he'd have to acknowledge that he knew and then it would be committing treason because Arthur couldn't see himself giving away Merlin to be executed by his father.

The time they used to spend together in light hearted witty bantering now seemed to be filled with tension and distrust. Merlin sulked for months after Will's death and Arthur idly wondered if Will was more than a friend to Merlin and also if Merlin blamed Arthur for Will's untimely end.

After his discovery about Merlin's magic Arthur found out a great many things about Merlin that he didn't know before, first he now knew that Merlin was not an idiot though he looked and acted like one, he was not as innocent as Arthur had thought him to be, he had killed people and made tough choices as Arthur did in battle and also that Merlin was apparently friendly with the dragon.

When the druid boy was hiding in Camelot and no one knew where to find him Arthur got suspicious when Merlin failed to turn up to attend him and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Merlin heading a certain way which meant he was about to go in to see the damned creature and Arthur stealthily followed.

He heard Merlin ask "Why does the boy call me Emrys?"

Arthur didn't hear anything that was said after that and barely managed to hide himself away when Merlin went on his merry way up to the castle, the bumbling idiot. He still remembered that incident in the forest when he'd gone through his first heat in the middle of nowhere and got surrounded by immoral bandits, the memory still made him wince and he had nightmares from time to time about that day and the sorcerer who had rescued him and his words that he belonged with the sorcerer Emrys.

Arthur decided that he had to investigate more before coming to a conclusion, not that he was planning on submitting to anyone and Merlin wasn't an alpha, Arthur knew by now what the scent of an alpha was like and Merlin was not one.

What Arthur did not know was that Merlin was still young and had yet to come off age and into his alpha maturity, after a while Arthur stopped being bothered by what the old wizard had told him that day and of Merlin's druidic name, Arthur could not ever even imagine Merlin being an alpha, even if he was a sorcerer Arthur knew he was as harmless as a kitten and Merlin used his magic for parlor tricks and shirking his duties that Arthur could not imagine the power he had to be great enough to corrupt him into doing evil deeds.

All that changed however when Arthur was bitten by the questing beast and after he woke up from the darkness he was painfully aware that there had to be magic involved in him getting cured suddenly and when Merlin came by to speak to him, it felt ominously like a good-bye and Arthur though half soused with medicine and in an awful lot of pain braved through the castle to speak with the dragon as Merlin had all but disappeared.

Arthur stood at the ledge and called out "Hello, I know you're here! I need your help!"

The dragon swooped down and Arthur had to take a moment to admire the magnificent creature before he remembered he had every reason to fear it as he was the son of the man who had entrapped the dragon in this cave.

"Arthur Pendragon, I've been waiting for you to come to me."

Arthur blinked and held his torch a little higher with his uninjured hand and asked "Merlin, he's in danger."

The dragon lifted its head a little and gave Arthur a considering look, "It would appear he is."

"He's gone to fight the sorcerer who did this, hasn't he?"

The dragon snorted and said "Yes, it's time for Nimueh's end and Merlin's destiny to begin."

Arthur balked wondering at the implications, "But what if Merlin is not strong enough? What if he gets himself killed instead, you have to tell me where he's gone!"

The dragon gave out a deep bellied laugh which echoed dangerously within the cave's walls, "Emrys' powers are unparalleled to any other sorcerer to walk the world, and the high priestess is no match for his power."

Arthur shook his head and said "I can't trust you; I need to bring Merlin back, tell me where he's gone!"

"_I cannot reveal anything to you and you are the one who's going to pay for this sacrifice Arthur Pendragon, not Merlin."_

With such a cryptic message the dragon spread its wings and flew back into the heights of the cave leaving Arthur feeling angry and frustrated beyond all reason and he wondered how Merlin ever put up with the beast.

When Merlin came back from wherever he'd been looking like he'd drowned and Arthur saw him from where he kept watch from the window, he fled out with his nightclothes on and barely even putting on his boots. The castle servants and guards gave him confusing looks but Arthur rushed past them eager to see and make sure that Merlin was alive and well.

He grinned when he saw the bright mop of black hair and Gaius standing a few paces away and called out "MERLIN! You idiot!" and went near when Merlin's eyes snapped up and zoned in on Arthur.

But Arthur was too late to notice the flare of nostrils and Merlin's eyes which were now completely black and staring at Arthur with intent. Arthur's mind clouded when the powerful scent of the alpha hit him and he moaned involuntarily as Merlin came forward scenting Arthur and smirking when he found it to be appealing and Arthur remembered somewhere in his lust addled brain about the sorcerer's words and Arthur belonging with Emrys and also that he was close to the week where he'd go into heat and hadn't taken the suppressors that Gaius had given him and he'd forgotten it completely in his worry about Merlin.

Merlin came closer still until he was in Arthur's personal space and Arthur squeaked in a very unmanly fashion when Merlin gave an experimental lick to Arthur's jaw and then to the corner of his mouth.

Arthur opened his eyes then and was assaulted with the look of Merlin's black eyes and when he felt Merlin's hands cupping his ass he snapped out of it and pushed with all his might and Merlin who'd not been expecting resistance stumbled back and then looked outraged as he let out an inhuman growl that sent shivers up and down Arthur's spine.

Gaius who had deduced what was happening now tried to make Merlin see sense as he was looking ready to lash out at Arthur and jump on him, "Merlin, you can't let it control you! You have to fight it!"

Merlin didn't seem to be listening though and Gaius saw Arthur standing there and shouted "Run Arthur, run to your chambers and keep your doors locked."

Arthur couldn't see that being of much use when Merlin was an all powerful sorcerer but he ran anyway, his knees weak and his heart pounding in his chest. He ran like he never had all the way to his chambers and barricaded the door with his dining table after he'd locked it safely behind him and waited. He mewled as all he wanted to do was strip down and bury his fingers inside his wet drenching asshole and as the wind carried the alpha's powerful scent which he was normally impervious to because of the suppressors but now felt like an avalanche, he was drowning in their musky manly scent which promised him heights of pleasure he'd never reached before, Arthur groaned when he remembered Merlin cupping his ass and he gave in and reached into his trousers making a tight fist around his cock and stroked three times before he was coming hard and into his hands breathing heavily and feeling rung out.

In the courtyard Gaius shook Merlin hard and Merlin snapped out of it looking at Gaius and then remembering what he'd done, he gasped as he asked "What is happening Gaius? I felt like…like I've been possessed."

Gaius shook his head impatiently and then handed Merlin a bottle from his supplies bag, when Merlin made to question Gaius said "It's a sleeping draft Merlin, it will help you calm down and rest for a while. Drink it!"

Merlin frowned confused, "But Gaius….I…I don't…"

"Drink it Merlin, please!"

At Gaius' pleading tone Merlin relented and downed the bottle in one go. After a few moments he fell down while the people of Camelot watched having witnessed what had happened with the Prince before.

As the knock came Arthur felt his heart beating away a furious rhythm and only when he heard Gaius' voice did Arthur open the door to the physician.

"Gaius what happened?"

Gaius closed the door and steepled his fingers before saying "I've given Merlin a sleeping draft and he's asleep now. I fear he has come into his alpha inheritance."

Arthur looked confounded as the last of the desire ebbed away from his body, "But…his scent, it's never been remotely like that!"

Gaius frowned "It is rather sudden but Arthur he cannot serve you anymore, he will need time to be away and get himself under control and being so close to an omega is the last thing that he needs."

Arthur frowned and said "But I have suppressors Gaius, the only reason he scented me out today was because I failed to take them." Suddenly being away from Merlin seemed like a disheartening prospect for Arthur as he tried to reason with Gaius.

Gaius only gave Arthur a stern eyebrow, "Arthur, it does not matter now, he knows you are an omega and the King would have his head for that if he were to overstep his boundaries and do something untoward.." Arthur flushed remembering the eerily focused glare Merlin had directed him earlier in the courtyard.

Arthur was fed up of being deceived though and he snapped "Not exactly the only reason he should fear my father and the axe man's block, is it Gaius? And yet you've never sent him away for that!"

Gaius looked shocked presumably and Arthur huffed bringing his arms in front of him and crossing them in a petulant gesture as he said "Yes Gaius, I know, I'm not stupid no matter what Merlin thinks!"

"Sire, I beg of you, everything Merlin has done he's done to protect you and Camelot!"

Arthur threw his hands up in the air, came closer to Gaius and spoke in a sharp tone, "I've known for a long time Gaius and you don't see me running to my father about it like old Sir Hector, do you?"

Gaius then nodded and with a slight smile he said "Then you must understand that he has even more reason to leave, his powers are erratic at best and he will need the help of the druids."

Arthur was saddened immensely by the truth in Gaius' words and wanted to childishly declare that Merlin was his servant and if he had some trouble he better damn well deal with it and come straight back to serving Arthur, however he remembered what a delicate and precarious position they were in and asked "Can I atleast say goodbye Gaius?"

Gaius's brow wrinkled, he looked truly sorry as he stated "I don't think it will be wise sire, I plan to take him out when he's still sleeping."

"However, if you write me a note I will give it to him on your behalf."

Arthur nodded, going to his table and finding a parchment and quill before penning down a short note for Merlin, already feeling the ache of loss profoundly. He had just thought he was going to loose Merlin but now it seemed fate had intervened and he was going to loose his only best friend either way and Arthur only had himself to blame, if he weren't so negligent about taking the herbs then Merlin might not have recognized Arthur for what he was and now that he did he had to flee Camelot.

Merlin woke up groggy and his entire body in painful cricks as he found himself swinging this way and that in rhythm with the horse's gallop, he had been slung on the horse sideways and his first thought was that he'd been kidnapped but then he noticed that the horse's trot was too slow and that he remembered this to be Cenred's lands. He turned his head to where he heard another horses hoofs beating on the moist ground of the forest and found his mentor seated atop it.

He moaned and with difficulty finding his throat extremely parched he called "Gaius!"

He did not have energy for more and thankfully Gaius seemed to notice as he stopped and Merlin got down once his horse had stopped moving but as his feet hit the ground he saw the world spinning around him and Gaius steadied him and sat him against a tree before he directed his mouth to a waterskin from which he drank greedily. He recovered a few minutes later and asked "Gaius, what are we doing here? These are Cenred's lands !"

Gaius looked at Merlin as if he were a bit dim before he stated "Yes Merlin, I'd gathered!"

"Why are we here?"

"Because of you Merlin, you don't plan to spring any more surprises on this old man do you?"

"Surprises?" asked Merlin looking puzzled, "What surprises?"

"You don't remember?"

"No, no, why? What happened?"

"Your alpha inheritance happened Merlin!"

"My what? Gaius I don't understand….does it have something to do with Nimueh?"

Gaius shook his head and started to explain it all to Merlin until dusk was upon them and Merlin was feeling it all quite surreal.

"But Gaius, I can't leave Arthur, he's my destiny, he's my friend."

Gaius gave him an understanding nod but said "You have to Merlin, you need to train under the druids, Iseldir will be able to help you and if the King were to ever find out he would see you burned, Uther is fiercely protective of Arthur, it's why he never allows him to contest in a tournament and confines Arthur to his chambers while he is in heat."

Merlin would not be persuaded though, "But the dragon said that Arthur and I are like two sides of a coin, what if he meant that we were meant to be together? Like this?" asked Merlin hope and longing reflected in his eyes and Gaius felt aggrieved for having to break the boy's heart as he considered Merlin his own son, he knew having delusions about the Prince would not benefit Merlin in anyway.

"Uther would never allow for a peasant to have relations with his heir let alone a powerful sorcerer, he keeps Arthur away even from the alpha knights of Camelot, Merlin you have to hope that what you've done for Arthur up until now is enough."

Merlin felt the tears fall and although he still couldn't remember what happened very clearly, he vividly remembered the longing he'd felt when he'd been close to Arthur and the almost unstoppable urge to take, to claim and he growled low in his throat when he felt his trousers tighten simultaneously as his heart ached for something he could never even in his imaginations hope to have.

**Bit angsty, I know but it will get better sooner rather than later!**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd like to inform that from now on all chapters of this story will be posted on my livejournal page since some of the content is not appropriate to be published on ff, you can find the link to my lj profile in my fanfiction profile page or just follow the link here :  
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**Happy Reading!  
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**CHAPTER - 3  
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Back in Camelot rumors ran rampant about the Prince's status as an omega, Arthur had hoped that he could hide and shroud himself in the shadows of the lies like always but there had been more than one alpha knight in the courtyard where he'd had his altercation with Merlin and all of them were too sharp to miss the scent of an omega in their midst.

Uther was beside himself with fury and worry and Arthur had been prohibited from leaving his chambers, four guards having been stationed out of his chambers. Their argument had been one Arthur was not likely to forget so soon.

"But father, they will keep their silence if you ordered them to, you're the King!"

"You don't understand Arthur; I fear not for me but you, there has never been any Kingdom with an omega ruler."

"But I train just as hard; I've even managed to best alphas!"

"It does not matter, it won't convince the council or the older noble families of your worth to be King." Uther shouted banging the table with his hands.

Arthur shrank back blanching, hardly able to believe his ears, Uther sighed, "It is almost akin to how they would protest if Morgana were to rule Camelot."

"All my life I've been trained to be a leader, I'd give my life and limb for Camelot and yet they won't have me as their sovereign?" questioned Arthur looking bereft and miserly, first he had lost Merlin, his dear friend, his only friend because of his unfortunate inheritance and now he had all chances of loosing his title and the throne of Camelot. He did not know his place in the world anymore and that frightened him more than anything.

Uther with a resigned air stated, "A King is expected to be a fierce and ruthless warrior Arthur, a dominant and a person who could bend other such dominants to his will. There must be no question about who holds absolute power that is the central essence of monarchy."

"I can be all that despite being born like this! I won't let this infliction dictate how I rule Father!"

"Will you not?" asked Uther with a doubtful tone which made Arthur pause.

Arthur scrambled back a few steps as Uther directed a harsh glare at him and he snorted, "You don't have faith in me…" it was statement rather than a question.

"How can I when you've been so foolish as to expose yourself while knowing what it meant for you? You acted irresponsibly and imprudently."

Arthur hung his head in shame, one mistake and now he was facing the dreaded consequences of his nightmares in his real life. He couldn't stand here anymore and argue with his father.

"Can I be excused to retire to my chambers sire?"

Uther did not expect Arthur to close himself off and though his heart ached for his heir he had to find a solution to the up rise this would cause amongst his people and if they were very lucky they could hold hope that news hadn't reached the other Kingdoms yet.

Uther waved a hand but commanded, "Stay in your chambers until I say otherwise, and for god's sake take the herbs Gaius prescribed, you're reeking of pheromones."

Arthur was puzzled at that as he had already taken Gaius' herbs as soon as he'd wanked himself raw over Merlin of all people and he'd thought his scent was masked off now but he nodded and left knowing his father was in a foul mood, not wanting to add to it.

Merlin and Gaius though were making their way through the forest of Essetir being careful of bandits and rogue men of Cenred who could pop out anywhere in the land.

"Do you sense them at all Merlin?"

Merlin struggled at having to disappoint his mentor yet again as he said "No Gaius…I've never known how, the druid boy was an exception."

Gaius said nothing though the twist of his mouth meant he was worried. "Maybe he hasn't received my message yet."

"How did you manage to send a message to the druids anyway? Aren't their dwellings expertly hidden by magic?"

"There are a few people I know of amongst the druids, I've treated them before and know how to contact them if the need ever rose."

Merlin knew he wasn't getting anything more out of Gaius so he kept his mouth until they walked a few paces more and he sensed it, the faint hum of old magic.

"Gaius!" exclaimed Merlin.

When Gaius turned to look at him expectantly Merlin had a grin on his face as he said "I think I found them after all."

In Camelot, two knights were gossiping about the Prince at the local tavern "Can't bloody believe it, the Prince an omega!" said Bedivere.

"I know right, the way he drills us in practice!" Kay's tone was of disbelief.

"I don't know how we never even managed to get a whiff of his scent before" Bedivere sipped his ale as he spoke wondering about all the times on the training grounds, he was an alpha himself and he could recognize the smell of an omega in heat a mile away.

"Aye, neither have I, must be the suppressors, that physician takes good care of his hide."

"I guess this explains the two months long breaks he takes to visit Tintagel and why Uther never sends any of us with him. Must be when he goes into heat."

"What d'you suppose Uther will do now that he's been outed?"

"No idea, but he certainly can't be King. No one would accept an omega as a King, can you imagine the horror?"

Kay smirked, "I suppose Uther will get him married to some King, maybe Mercia's Bayard or even Cenred."

Bedivere shrugged, "Cenred's been known for his inclinations towards the rougher sex, though who wouldn't be tempted by an omega…it's almost enough to make one forget he's a man."

Kay laughed as the barmaid poured another jug of ale and sat it on his table top, "Whatever the King decides it's going to be a very interesting state of affairs in Camelot for a while."

As they had got themselves settled in the new tent in the middle of the druid camp Gaius handed him a note saying "It's from the Prince."

Merlin was surprised that Arthur had bothered enough after he'd assaulted his person like that, he now remembered everything clearly and after the initial feelings of possessiveness left him it was replaced with a sense of embarrassment and humiliation.

Gaius looked suspiciously misty eyed as he intoned "I will miss you my boy."

Merlin smiled though he wanted to tear up and tell Gaius he did not want to be left here, his sudden inheritance had made him lose both his friend and his father figure and he hated himself a little more for being so abnormal, first his magic and now this.

"And I you Gaius." Merlin threw his arms around Gaius and hugged him tight as Gaius returned the embrace stroking twice through Merlin's hair.

"You're my son in all but blood Merlin; I know you will do me proud."

Merlin just hugged him tighter, words lost on him in this moment as he found himself feeling the same way he had when he'd first left Ealdor and his mother, idly he wondered how many more homes he would have to loose and start life anew, Camelot had become his home and he was going to miss it dearly.

**A week later**

"What is happening Gaius? Why are they not working for him suddenly?" demanded Uther clenching his fists as he looked out at his Kingdom through the windows his back turned to Gaius.

"I do not know sire, rest assured I'm trying everything in my power."

"Obviously it's not good enough, at this rate Bayard or Olaf or heaven forbid Aligned would seek to forge an alliance by bonding to Arthur!"

"There is one who might have the knowledge to explain why the herbs are not working for him now."

"Who?" asked Uther in deceptive calm as he finally turned to Gaius.

"The Great Dragon." Gaius said it in a grave tone and refused to back down from the glaring contest with Uther.

The King of Camelot turned away again and nodded once to indicate Gaius could seek the dragon's help.

"He will be in heat soon; I cannot protect him if the suppresors don't take effect! Gaius, what am I to do?" Uther asked fear for his son's impending fate making him look uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"Uther, you've done everything in your power to protect the boy, there's no reason to think you will fail now." Gaius insisted trying to assuage the King's anguish.

"But I will Gaius, and if Igraine were here she would never forgive me for not taking care of him better, I should have been more vigilant in hiding him, he's but a boy, I cannot see him suffer Gaius."

Gaius remained solemn as he vowed to find out more about Arthur's predicament no matter how hard it was going to be to get the beast chained under the castle to reveal anything.

Kilgarrah though was in no mood to help the traitorous physician as he intoned "I will not help Uther's son."

Gaius frowned confused, "But you've always helped Arthur in the past, what has changed now?"

"I helped not Arthur but the young Warlock."

"Merlin would not be pleased to know you wouldn't help Arthur when you know you could."

"Not if Merlin's actions were the reason for Arthur's predicament."

"Merlin's actions?" Gaius asked confusion coloring the tone of his voice as he lifted an eyebrow.

The dragon heaved a breath looking impatient before saying "Yes, Merlin traded the life of the high priestess of the Old Religion for Arthur's, the old religion must now render balance."

"The balance has already been achieved by Nimueh's death!" exclaimed Gaius.

"It is not as simple as that when you take a high priestess' life, a bargain struck with Nimueh's life did not please the old religion and now it seeks to balance the scales."

"Why did it not please the old religion? A life for a life, isn't that the essence of the magic of life and death?"

"You forget that it was Nimueh who gave Arthur life, who in essence created Arthur Pendragon and her life being bargained for Arthur's is akin to killing a mother who gives life to her child, so the old religion seeks compensation from both Merlin and Arthur."

"What could Merlin and Arthur do to please the old religion? Nimueh is already dead!"

"The old religion demands Arthur pay the price by siring a child, and this child must be conceived with Merlin's seed."

Gaius gasped in disbelief, "You mean Merlin has to claim Arthur?"

"Yes" the dragon for once gave a straight answer.

"And if Arthur is not mated to Merlin then he is liable to be claimed by any rogue alpha?"

"The young Prince stinks of his heat Gaius, Uther may think he is capable of protecting him but you and I know otherwise."

"But Uther would never agree for a bond between Arthur and Merlin, what happens if Arthur's claimed by another?"

"That Arthur and Merlin's destinies lie with each other is but an irrefutable truth, the Old Religion will not allow a child born from its powers to escape their fate."

"Then Arthur will be King of Camelot one day? Even though he is an omega"

"Arthur will be the Once and Future King of Albion and Merlin will be the Greatest sorcerer of the realm, together they will unite all of Albion and bring forth a great era of prosperity where magic flourishes."

Gaius took in all of this and nodded to himself, it was all grand and everything but the dragon's reply didn't give him a solution to Arthur's current problem.

"Merlin needs time to grown into his alpha inheritance; he cannot be ready to claim Arthur now!"

"Arthur and Merlin have a year's time to bring balance back to the old religion, the triple goddess will protect Arthur until Merlin is ready to claim him, and you know where you must take him Gaius."

The dragon flapped its wings and raised itself into the air flying away even as Gaius looked dumbfounded.

As he made his way back to the castle after learning of all these new revelations Gaius suddenly turned a corner and then it struck him, 'The Isle of the Blessed' it must have been where the dragon said Arthur would be safe as it was the dwelling place of all the ancients and the Old religions protections would ensure Arthur being claimed by someone against his will, but how to get Uther to accept and how would he tell Arthur that he is fated to be with Merlin. Gaius sighed thinking about the good old days when there was nothing to worry about except for the hordes of patients during the seasonal flu.


End file.
